St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-15
A FAMILIAR FIGURE.

LIE SkeIcIl THAI TOllOWS was furnished
by an intimate friend of the ex-gover-
nor'S:
Nehemiah George Ordway was born
at Warner, n. H., in 1928. He engaged
early in life in mercantile pursuits, was
sheriff of his native county for five
years, and admitted to the bar. AL
though of Democratic antecedentS he
supported Lincoln in 1860, and was ten
dered by Montgomery Blair, postmaster
general under Lincoln, the position of
general agent of the postofflce depart
ment for the six New England states,
with headquarters at Boston, which pc
SitiOn he filled until it was necessary to
raise troops, when he was commissioned
as colonel by the governor of New
Hampshire, and detailed to the duty of
forwarding troops to the front. He was
elected in December, 1868, sergeant-at-
arms of the United States house of rep
reSentatives for the Thirty-eighth con-
gress, and was reelected to the same
position in the Thirty-ninth, FOrtieth,
FOrty-firSt, FOrty-second and FOrty-third
congresses.
When the political complexion of the
house OF representatives changed in
1875, he returned to New Hampshire
and was elected from his native town of
Warner, which was largely Democratic,
to the New Hampshire house of repre-
SentativeS, and was reelected in 1876
and 1871; also, to the constitutional con-
ventiOn in 1878; was appointed by the
governor on commission to revise the
tax laws of the state. which made sweep
ing changes and eQualiZed nearly the
whole tax system of the state; was
elected state senator from the Merri-
mack district in 1880, which office he
resigned at the conclusion of the first
session to accept the office of governor
Of the territory of Dakota the duties of
which he entered upon in June, 1880,
and served until his successor was APP
pointed in July, 1884.
He has had pretty large political eX-
perience, having been the chairman of
the Republican state committee of New
hampshire, and chairman of the Re
publican central committee of the Dis
trlct OF Columbia, and during his twelve
years service as an officer of the house
OF representatives, became personally
acquainted with more than 1000 differ
ent members of congress from every
part OF the country. He took little part
in purely political contests while gov
ernor of Dakota, although he showed
his loyalty to the territory by surrender
ing his citizenship in New Hampshire
and taking an active part in the canvass
and voting to stamp out the reputation
in Yankton county and certain other
portions of the territory. During the
first session of the legislative assembly
which convened after he assumed office
he vetoed, or withheld his signature from
about 20 of the 200 bills presented tohim
quite number of which were passed
over his veto. 1t was noticeable fact,
however. that not more than two OF
three members who voted to over ride
his vetoes were returned to the next
legislative assembly. The labor and
care incident to the erection of ten pub
lie buildings, which he recommended
during his term, including the removal
of the seat of government and bnilding
the new capitol at Bismarck, made his
administration difficult and stormy
one. The finances of the territory dur
ing that period, however. were kept in
splendid condition, and, besides paying
off an old deprecated indebted ness he
left more than 100000 in the bands of
the treasurer to be turned over to his
successor, Governor Pierce.